Which Varieties do you have Sucess With?

For your red variety you might consider Cabernet Franc. It grows very well here in Maryland and Northern Virginia and is even grown in New York State. It is fairly cold hardy.

I have had better experience with it than what is "Supposed" to do well here, Chambourcin, which is a French Hybrid. Others, however, do quite well with Chambourcin. Some love its taste, others like me, like just a tad of it in a blend for color and fruit.

As for Nurseries, you might try:

I have bought from them and have been pleased.

Thanks for your feedback, I apprecite your advice. I think I am going to experiment with several vines and play it by ear.

Thanks

Paul,

What type of soil do you have??? Do the Chambourcin and Cab Franc get the same amount of sunshine during the day , summer AND Winter???

Michael,

I've had just the opposite experience as Paul. My Chambourcin is ALOT more hardy than the Cab Franc that I'm growing. What I have also experienced is that Lemberger is more cold hardy than Cab Franc for me and "supposedly" it makes great wine even if the ripeness isn't exactly what it should be. I haven't gotten to harvest for either the Franc or the Lemberger BUT the hardiness is different with the Lemberger being better for ME. Southern New Jeresy has Valenzano Winery and they grow ALOT of Chambourcin and the owner really likes it. Chardonnay should do fine where you are. If you have sandy-ish soil, which I think you might, that's even better. I have sandy soil which I think keeps the vines from getting to out of control whih makes them succeptible to winter injury.

Bob

Paul E. Lehmann wrote:

(Chardonnay),

purchase

blindly.

Sorry guys, Just so you know, I live in NY just to the west of Danbury Ct. ( 40 miles north of the Big Apple.)

Bob

I have a very well drained sandy loam soil. Both get the same amount of sunshine during the day as they are planted side by side and even intermingled and not in separate lots.

I think some growers like Chambourcin because it can produce an enormous crop and the grapes are large and beautiful. Like Merlot, it shares a somewhat romantic sounding name.

I suggest to anyone planting Chambourcin (or any grape) to taste the wine from the grapes grown in the area and see if you want to plant it. Of course, it also depends a lot on who makes the wine. From my experience, Chambourcin wine needs oak aging and is not at its best for at least several years if not more. Like I said, many around here have "relatively" no problem growing Chambourcin. I do. I have ignored the experts and sprayed with Sulphur last year and kept my leaves all year (a first) even though Chambourcin is suppose to be sensitive to Sulphur. Dick Penna, another grower nearby, also uses Sulphur on his Chambourcin with no problem. By the way, he has very vigorous vines and has a problem of them overcropping if he is not careful. The Chambourcin I have is NOT on rootstock. This may be a difference. I believe at least some of the others may have grafted plants.

One of the famous old time growers around here, Jim Russel from German Town, Md, who died last year, said that he did not like Chambourcin because it was not a long lived variety and did not put out a healthy and extensive root system. I do not know if he grew self rooted or grafted vines.

At "Wine East" trade expo in Lancaster, PA several weeks ago, a grower was promoting Frontenac. He has a vineyard in Minnesota and said he does not bury his vines in winter and they do just fine. If you are concerned about cold hardy, you may want to consider this variety also. The firm is Winterhaven Vineyard and Nursery. I have no idea what kind of wine Frontenac makes.

If I had the space, I would like to grown some Traminette. This is a white grape and supposedly grows very well around here. It is a floral wine like a Gewurtz. and from what I have sampled is a VERY good wine. You may wish to check this variety out in addition to the Chardonnay.

See reply to Bob below.

Hope this helps.

can produce an enormous crop and the grapes are large and beautiful. Like Merlot, it shares a somewhat romantic sounding name.u have sandy-ish soil, which I think you

Bob, I suggest you taste Lemberger wine. You may love it and I am sure it has a following but I do not care for it at all.

Marachel Foch is another grape that has a following and some love it and call it "The next Merlot" Personally, I think the wine taste like soap. That is the beauty of viticulture and wine making; everyone has their own opinion(s)

Paul,

That's funny. I was at Lancaster also and spoke to Winterhaven about vines. I think those vines would ripen too soon in southern NJ. Just my hunch. I'm really interested in Lacresent though I've never tasted it. I have tasted Lemberger and it was REALLY good. I highly recommend Goose Watch Vineyard in the Finger Lakes if you want to taste really good Lemberger and Chambourcin. I grow my chambourcin on it's own roots also. I will never grow anything graftyed anymore. Never dug my chambourcin up so I can't say anything about the root system. THey seem to do fairly well here considering we get some cold temps in the winter. This may be the coldest part of Westchester County and I live in a valley. Traminette has survived for me and that would be a GREAT choice for southern NJ. I don't think my growing season here is long enough to ripen it so I have my doubts BUT the winter hardiness is plenty good enough for S NJ.. It make GREAT wine in my opinion and I like it better than Chardonnay BUT ya gotta grow what you like. What problems do you have with chambourcin as far as growing it????? Sulphur on Chambourcin???? Never tried it, but if it works, great!

Bob

Michael,

Where exactly are you? Southern NJ has great potential for grape growing.

I'm in northern NJ, but a friend in southern NJ (Galloway Twp) has been growing Vinifera very successfully for over 25 years. At Sylvin Farms he grows Cab sauv & franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Corvino, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Rkatziteli and others I can't think of at the moment. Over the years he's eliminated some varieties due to lack of hardiness, but what he has now does pretty well, possibly excepting the Pinot Noir.

I've had excellent service & results with vines from Double A Vineyards in NY state.

Mike McGeough, Cokesbury, Hunterdon Cty, NJ

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Mike,

I live in Woodstown, NJ which is about 35 miles west of Galloway Twp.

Thanks to everyone for the advice!